AMA: Jason DiSalvo on Ducati 848 EVO

Latus Racing has finalized its 2011 motorcycle race program by selecting Jason DiSalvo as team rider for this coming AMA Daytona Sportbike season.

The team will campaign the new 2011 Ducati 848 EVO in the AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike Series presented by AMSOIL.

With the experience of long time Latus crew chief Ronnie Saner overseeing the development of the new Ducati engine, the team hopes to find early success this motorcycle racing season.

DiSalvo looks to bring his experience and speed to the fold to help win races and solidify the Latus name inAMA Pro Road Racing.

Jason DiSalvo says: "I want to thank George Latus for giving me this opportunity to help bring success to his team for 2011," explains the new Ducati 848 rider.

"I was very impressed by the Ducati 848s this past season, and feel that with Ronnie steering the ship we can bring the bike to a competitive level straight away. I’ve been working harder than ever coming into this year and my goal is to win."

Ronnie Saner says:"I am very excited to work with Jason DiSalvo for the 2011 season, and to be able to run a second year on the Ducati 848. I am confident that Jason’s experience will be very advantageous to our 2011 campaign."

The team will be testing the Ducati 848 EVOs for the first time in Daytona in January. The team is now going to work making sure the race bikes will be perfect for their first entry in Daytona SportBike.

DiSalvo’s experience spans 22 years of motorcycle racing, starting with dirt track at the age of 4, and Road Racing by 7.

Turning Pro at 16, he competed in Europe for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Jason returned to the U.S. in 2002 as a privateer, and was signed by Yamaha as a Factory Rider for six motorcycle racing seasons.

DiSalvo holds the AMA record for consecutive pole positions at 13 over a two year span, has won 10 nationals, recorded 37 pole positions, and 60 podium finishes in his AMA Pro Road Racing career.

The new Ducati 848EVO has a liquid cooled, L-Twin, Desmodromic engine that is rated at 140hp (103kW) @ 10,500rpm and a 72.3lb-ft (10kgm) of torque @ 9,750rpm.

The 94mm x 61.2mm bore and stroke breathes through 4 valves per cylinder fed by newly revised inlet portshapes and racing-style elliptical throttle bodies, which are now increased in size from an equivalentdiameter of 56mm to 60mm.

The 2011 Ducati 848 EVO also features a brand new piston crown and combustion chamber shape improve burn efficiency and increase the compression ratio from 12:1 to a power-enhancing 13.2:1 while new performance-driven camshafts provide 13mm of valve-lift compared with 11.5mm and an inlet duration increase from 253° to 257°.